Teeeence duffy



(No Model.)

T. DUFFY.

SIGNAL BUOY.

No. 352,527. Patented Nov. 16, 1886.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TERRENCE DUFFY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SlGNAL-BUOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,527, dated November16, 1886.

Application filed June 27, 18 85. Serial No. 170,012. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, TERRENCE DUFFY, aresident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented a novel and useful SignalBuoy; and I hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to means for providing a signal-buoy withalarm-signals and light for service in harbors, rivers, and bays, andother navigable waters.

The following description fully explains the nature of my said inventionand the manner in which I proceed to conduct, apply, and operate thesame, the accompanying drawings being refegred to by figures andletters.

Figure 1 represents a section through the middle of the buoy, showingthe general arrangement of the oscillating basin andthesuspending-chain, cone-shaped well, and ball head, the internal andexternal air-chambers, the airpumps and their connection with the shellof the buoy and the internal air-chamber, the main delivery-pipe forcompressed air, and the connecting-pipe for conduct-ing air to theexternal air'chamber, the air-pipes for supplying air to the buoy, thedoor and skylights in buoy, the tower-frame covered with lattice-work,the arrangement for the Whistle in connection with the externalairchamber, the reservoir for water in the tower, and the arrangement ofthe pipes for filling and emptying the same, the electric light and thealarm-bell, and the swivel-joint for the anchor-chains. Fig. 2 is anenlarged view, of the details of the central swivel-joint,showingarrangement of the guide-rollers and the suspension roller andchain, and a part of the main delivery-pipe for compressed air. Fig. 3is a plan View of the same, showing two V- shaped rollers and four plainrollers. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of one of the air-pumps, showing theob eck-valve, fourreceding valves. the bucket, andconnecting-rod withuniversal joint, and the discharge-pipe. view of the buoy with the upperpartremoved, showing arrangement of the air-pumps and I theirdischarge-pipes into the internal air- 1 rangement of the lock-bolts.

chamber, the main delivery-pipe entering the ball-head with itsguide-rollers, and the ar- Fig. 6 is a plan View of one of theair-pumps, showing the i Fig. 5is a plan guide-bars and the recesses inthe receding Valves. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the buckets in theair-pumps. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the reservoir, showing fourcompartments with the water-pipes.

In Fig. 1, a is the buoy; b,external air-chamber;c door in buoy; d,outward projection of cone-shaped well; (1, main discharge fleXible pipeconveying compressed air from the internal air-chamber through thecone-shaped well to any point; f, swivel-joint for anchorchains; g,alarm-whistle in tower connected with external air-chamber; I1,alarm-bell, and 1', electric light in tower; j, oscillating basin,ballasted is, internal air-chamber; Z, air-pumps; m, connectingpiston-rods attaching air-pumps to shell of buoy; n, air-discharge pipesfrom air-pumps to internal air-chamber; 0, coneshaped well; 19, conicalchamber in center of oscillating basin; q, valve for connecting pipe gfrom main delivery-pipe etc the external airchamber; 8 and s,suspending-chains for oscillating basin; 1;, ball-head attached toconeshaped wellfor guiding the oscillating .basin; w, guide-rollers forballhead; Q, deck'over 0scillating basin; A, trap-door in upper part ofbuoy; B, pipe for filling and discharging reservoir; O, branch pipes tocompartments in reservoir; D, reservoir in four compartments; E,

force-pump to reservoir-pipe; I, faucet discharging from reservoir; andL, pipe connecting whistle with external air chamber.

In Fig. 2, e is the main delivery-pipe; s s, suspending chainsforoscillatingbasin; 22, ballhead for guiding oscillating basin; w,V-shaped guide-rollers; and 3 chain-pulley for oscillating basin.

In Fig.3, 1: is the ball-head for guiding oscillating basin; w,guide-rollers; and m, V- sha'ped guide-rollers.

In Fig. 4, 7c is the check-valve in air-pump; ZZ bucket in same; a,short pipe from airpump to internal air-chamber; 1, universal joint forair-pump connecting-rod; t, upwardly-opening Valves in air-pump; u,guides for same; and m, piston-rod.

In Fig. 5, a is the buoy; 1), external airchamber; 6, maindelivery-pipe; 70, internal aicchamber; G, lock-bolts for oscillatingbasin; and n, short pipes from air-pumps to internal air-chamber.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8, u is the guide-bars for upwardly opening valves inair-pumps; Z bucket in air-pumps; and c, branch pipes to' compartmentsin reservoir.

In a buoy,a, at anchor, the ballasted oscillating basinj is suspendedfrom a chain, 8, which is attached to a pulley-wheel, over which passesa chain, s, which is made fast to each side of the basin. The basin isprevented from swinging and is guided in its action by the ball-head c,and the four plain rollers 11), and two V-shaped rollers, 00, theplainrollers working against the ball-head and the V- shaped rollers a;working in grooves in the ball-head, Figs. 2 and 3. The ball-head ispart'of the cone-shaped well 0, which projects through the buoy, andthrough which the main delivery-pipe e conducts compressed air from theinternal annular air-chamber, k, to any desired point. From the maindelivery-pipe compressed air is conducted to the external annularair-chamber, b, by the valve q and connecting-pipe q. Lock-bolts G,which,as shown,

are simple pivoted arms hinged to the side of the buoy and adapted to beturned down against the swinging interior chamber or vessel, areprovided to check the oscillation of the basin during repair or othercause for stoppage. The air-pumps Z are provided with receding valves t,having recesses for the guide-bars u on the pump-barrel. The buoy islighted by skylights E, and fresh air is supplied by pipes c*, theexternal opening being considerably below the point of discharge insidethe buoy, to prevent the ingress of water to the buoy. The buoy isentered by the door a. The oscillating basin is decked, around which isplaced the internal air-chamber. At the top of the buoy a trap or door,A, opens into the tower.

The tower F, attached to the buoy, is constructed of a frame-work ofiron, well braced and protected by wire lattice-work. Suspended from thetop of-the tower is an alarm-bell, h. Below the bell is an electriclamp, i, connected and operated in the usual manner from source notshown. Directly under the lamp is a reservoir, D, subdivided into fourcompartments, Fig. 8, which are connected in pairs withbranch pipes c,and these branches connect with a supply and discharge pipe, B, near theend of which is a discharge-faucet, I. A pipe, 2, from the force-pump 2on deck, connects with the supply-pipe, and a pipe, 2, connects the pumpwith the exterior water. Near the bottom of the tower, on either side,is an alarm-whistle, g, of ordinary construction.

The operation of my signal-buoy is as follows: When the buoy a is atanchor, the motion of the water causes the suspended and ballasted basinto oscillate, and this oscillating action works the air-pumps, whichcompress the air and force it into the internal annular chamber, k, fromwhich it is conducted by the main delivery-pipe e to any point of theshore. At a pointjn the lower part of the cone-shaped well 0 avalve, q,and connectingtions of the signals and other purposes.

pipe conducts compressed air from the main delivery-pipe to the externalannular air-chamber, b, where it is stored' for use in the OPGTIS- emotion of the buoy, which is rendered regular and continuous by theoscillations of the suspended basin, sounds the alarm-bell. The lamp iis reached from the buoy through the trap-door A, and is supplied withcarbons or repaired. The alarm-whistle g is connected by a pipe, L, withthe external air-chamber, b, the compressed air from which operates it.

The reservoir for water serves to ballast the tower and to induce motionwhen the action of the oscillating basin is weak and irregular, owing tosmooth water. The action of the reservoir is regulated by dividing itinto four compartments, any two of which on the line of equilibrium maybe filled or discharged, while the other two remain empty. This is madepossible by having cocks 0 a to shut ofl'the flow from or to eitherpair.

The water for the purpose of manipulating the compartment-reservoir istaken in through pipe z", (shown in Fig. 5,) which extends outside ofthe buoy beneath chamber b, and connects with force-pump z, by means ofwhich water is taken in and forced up through pipe .2 (shown in Fig. 1)into supply-pipe B, and thence distributed to the compartments, as abovedescribed.

When the act-ion of the oscillating basin is regular and energetic, thewater may be discharged from the reservoir.

' In an application for patent made by me on the 31st of March, 1885,Serial No. 160,833, I have shown and described devices for compressingand storing air similar to those shown herein, and I do not claim saiddevices in this application.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In asignal-buoy, the combination of buoybody and the signal device,as g, with the interior swinging part, j, and air-pumps 1, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a signal-buoy, the combination of the buoy body or shell, aweighted part, as j, capable of oscillation, the air-pumps connected toit and to the shell of the buoy, a signal adapted to be operated bycompressed air, means for supplying air thereto from the airpumps, aninternal air-chamber, and the tube 6, for conveying air from saidchamber, as set forth.

3. In a signal-buoy, the combination of the buoy-body and tower thereon,the compartmentreservoir D, connecting pipe B, and branch pipes c c,said reservoir being located in the tower of the buoy, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

TERRENCE DUFFY. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

A. B. SMITH, D. '1. JEs'rER.

